Markus Höttinger's Fatal Crash @ Hockenheim 1980 (Aftermath)
- 6 months ago
For the 1980 season Höttinger joined the Maurer team in its assault to the European Formula 2 Championship; to Markus, that was the last stop before a career in Formula 1. In fact, with the support of BMW and Markus Höttinger was planning to debut in Formula 1 already at the Austrian Grand Prix, which was to be held at Zeltweg on 16 August that year. Maurer, powered by BMW engines and sponsored by Mampe, the Berlin-based beverage company that officially named the squad MM Mampe Team, had great expectations for the inaugural race of the European Formula 2 Championship - the BARC 200 held at Thruxton on 7 April. Those expectations were quickly slashed though, as the engine of Höttinger’s car expired even before the completion of the first lap of the race.
Höttinger was hopeful to have better luck in the next race, the XIV Deutschland Trophäe, part of the festivities of the XII Jim Clark Gedächtnisrennen and scheduled for 13 April at Hockenheim, a circuit he knew quite well. Markus had a good qualification and was racing amidst the pack whilst Manfred Winkenhock and Andrea De Cesaris fought for the lead at the early stages of the race. As the BMW engine of Winkenhock’s March 802 was losing a little oil, De Cesaris decided to try to overtake him on the third lap; the Italian driver pulled to the inside of the start/finish straight, but braked late and hit Winkenhock, putting both cars out of contention.
A lap later a trio of drivers – Derek Warwick, Mike Thackwell and Höttinger – got to the scene; Höttinger had started the race in great shape, and was able to closely follow the other two cars. Thackwell, who was also driving a March 802 – BMW, overtook Warwick going into the first corner, which had been made slippery by the accident between De Cesaris and Winkenhock, but slid wide and scattered sand everywhere. Warwick also went wide and spun wildly. Trying to regain control, Warwick crossed the road and hit the armco on the right side of the track; upon impact, the right rear wheel of his Toleman TG280 – Hart was tore off. The wheel bounced across the road, right on the path of Höttinger, who hit it square with his helmet, causing him very serious head injuries; in fact, the impact was so violent that the car roll-bar was bent sideways. Markus was knocked unconscious; the out-of-control Maurer was hit by Bernard Devaney’s March before came to a stop against the guard-rails at the right side of the track, three hundred meters after the point of initial against the errant wheel.
R.I.P
Höttinger was hopeful to have better luck in the next race, the XIV Deutschland Trophäe, part of the festivities of the XII Jim Clark Gedächtnisrennen and scheduled for 13 April at Hockenheim, a circuit he knew quite well. Markus had a good qualification and was racing amidst the pack whilst Manfred Winkenhock and Andrea De Cesaris fought for the lead at the early stages of the race. As the BMW engine of Winkenhock’s March 802 was losing a little oil, De Cesaris decided to try to overtake him on the third lap; the Italian driver pulled to the inside of the start/finish straight, but braked late and hit Winkenhock, putting both cars out of contention.
A lap later a trio of drivers – Derek Warwick, Mike Thackwell and Höttinger – got to the scene; Höttinger had started the race in great shape, and was able to closely follow the other two cars. Thackwell, who was also driving a March 802 – BMW, overtook Warwick going into the first corner, which had been made slippery by the accident between De Cesaris and Winkenhock, but slid wide and scattered sand everywhere. Warwick also went wide and spun wildly. Trying to regain control, Warwick crossed the road and hit the armco on the right side of the track; upon impact, the right rear wheel of his Toleman TG280 – Hart was tore off. The wheel bounced across the road, right on the path of Höttinger, who hit it square with his helmet, causing him very serious head injuries; in fact, the impact was so violent that the car roll-bar was bent sideways. Markus was knocked unconscious; the out-of-control Maurer was hit by Bernard Devaney’s March before came to a stop against the guard-rails at the right side of the track, three hundred meters after the point of initial against the errant wheel.
R.I.P